CAMP RICHARDSON – After meeting with partner agencies, Caltrans has decided to discontinue the use of the pedestrian hybrid beacon crossing device on State Highway 89 in Camp Richardson indefinitely.

Caltrans and its transportation partners are working on other ways to manage traffic through the corridor, including using flaggers for traffic control at the intersection on busy weekends, installing new crosswalk signs and implementing new entry and exit procedures for local beaches this summer.

The crossing device, which displays a red signal to motorists when pedestrians activate it to cross the highway, was installed as part of a Caltrans construction project completed in 2016. It was used most of last summer but was deactivated around the Fourth of July holiday when a significant increase in motorist and pedestrian activity was perceived as the source of congestion in the area.

Caltrans recently met with staff from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and U.S. Forest Service and agreed not to reactivate the beacon until after the State Route (SR) 89 Recreation Corridor Management Plan is completed in 2019. The study will look at short- and long-term solutions to improve recreation travel on the corridor, including the Camp Richardson/89 intersection.

Among other data collection efforts, agency partners will be surveying residents and visitors in the Camp Richardson and Emerald Bay areas to better understand why, where and how people are traveling and what types of improvements the public would like implemented. Surveys will be offered in person, through mail and online.